Judge: Former Dennis firefighter must stay in jail

Madeleine List

Wednesday

Dec 6, 2017 at 8:11 PMDec 7, 2017 at 12:46 PM

PLYMOUTH — A former Dennis firefighter charged with domestic assault and battery and animal cruelty will continue to be held in custody pending trial after a judge Wednesday deemed him too dangerous to be released into the community.

Sebastian Pessini, 28, of Yarmouth Port, who is charged with assault on a family or household member, subsequent offense; cruelty to animals; strangulation or suffocation; intimidating a witness; and assault and battery on a family or household member, subsequent offense, appeared in Plymouth Superior Court Wednesday for a review of a prior decision to hold him without bail.

The charges stem from allegations that Pessini abused a woman on two occasions last summer and threw a 5-month-old puppy against a wall.

On Oct. 23, Barnstable District Court Judge Kathryn Hand ordered that Pessini be held for up to 120 days after hearing testimony from six witnesses, including two women who accused him of similar types of abuse.

On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson also deemed Pessini a danger to the community and ordered that he continue to be held. The hearing occurred in Plymouth because Barnstable Superior Court Judge Robert Rufo had a conflict in the case.

Pessini resigned from his position at the Dennis Fire Department in November, according to Dennis Fire Chief Mark Dellner. Before working in Dennis, Pessini served as a volunteer firefighter-paramedic with the West Barnstable Fire Department from 2008 to 2012.

On Oct. 13, a woman went into the Yarmouth police station to report ongoing abuse by Pessini, and highlighted two specific incidents from July and August.

Over the July Fourth weekend, Pessini allegedly jumped out of a moving vehicle in which the woman was a passenger, assaulted her and took her phone.

On Aug. 31, he allegedly pushed her around the house, shoved her up against a wall and threw a 5-month-old puppy.

Pessini’s attorney, Claudia Lagos, said that Pessini, who has already served over 50 days in custody, denies the allegations. Lagos said the woman lied in order to obtain a restraining order against him and gain full custody of their dog, which they were previously splitting time with.

"She has reasons to lie and get her dog and keep it," she said.

When Pessini allegedly began abusing the woman, he was on probation for a 2015 case in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery on a family or household member. Lagos said that the woman could have attended the court hearings for his prior case and then came forward with similar allegations.

But Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Jessica Croker said the similarity of the allegations in both of Pessini’s cases show a pattern of abuse. Two women have said Pessini physically and verbally abused them, drove erratically in attempts to scare them and prevented them from leaving their homes when they tried to escape.

The fact that he allegedly began abusing a second victim while on probation shows that Pessini doesn’t have respect for court orders, Croker said. His previous victim also testified in October that she believed Pessini continued to follow her, even though he was ordered by the court to stay away from her, and she feared for her life.

After the hearing Lagos said she was disappointed in the court’s ruling, but expects to win the case at trial. Pessini’s mother declined to comment outside the courtroom. A trial date was not scheduled Wednesday.

— Follow Madeleine List on Twitter: @madeleine_list.

Editor's note: The original version of this story contained incorrect information about Pessini's departure from the fire department. The story has been corrected.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.